Following the arrest in Italy of the suspected coordinator of the sabotage of the “Nord Stream“ gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, a decision on his extradition to Germany is expected by September 3, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
An Italian court has set the date by which a decision on the extradition of the 49-year-old suspect of Ukrainian origin will be made, after his arrest warrant was confirmed by a judge in the northern Italian city of Bologna.
During the hearing on the detention measure, the man denied the charges. He claims that he was in Ukraine during the attacks on the gas pipelines in September 2022. At the same time, he opposes his transfer to Germany.
The German Federal Prosecutor's Office accuses the Ukrainian citizen of complicity in the commission of an explosion and unconstitutional sabotage. For these reasons, he will be tried in Germany.
The German magazine "Spiegel" wrote that he is a former agent of the Ukrainian secret services.
According to the findings of the German authorities, the Ukrainian was part of a group that placed explosives on the "Nord Stream" 1 and 2 gas pipelines near the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea in September 2022.
The Ukrainian was arrested yesterday morning in the Italian seaside resort of Rimini on the Adriatic coast. He remains in pre-trial detention in Italy until a decision is made on his extradition.
"Spiegel" claims that the Ukrainian suspect is a former agent of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) who apparently held several passports with different identities.